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Corals and global warming: the
         Mediterranean versus the Red Sea
 Project conceivers: Zvy Dubinsky, Bar-Ilan University, Israel,
Stefano Goffredo and Giuseppe Falini, Alma Mater Studiorum-
                  University of Bologna, Italy

               www.CoralWarm.eu
Institutions:
Bar-Ilan University; University of Bologna

                          Project duration:
                                   5 years

                             ERC support:
                          3.3 million euros
CO2 and Mineral Saturation




   Increase in atmospheric CO2 (see fig) increases pCO2 in surface seawater.
   Potentially inhibiting effect on calcifying organisms (corals and coralline algae)
   due to decrease in saturation state of CaCO3 with increasing pCO2.

   Possible stimulatory effect of increased CO2 on some algae

   Decreasing calcification along with increasing sea level may result in reefs
   being unable to keep up.

   Likewise corals may change the density of their skeletons in response to
   decreased calcification, if density is lower then corals more susceptible to
   physical damage from storms and bioerosion
The anthropogenic CO2 emissions and ozone
destruction result in processes detrimental to
various marine biota, in addition to their publicized
social, political and economic aspects. These
include seawater warming, ocean acidification and
sea level rise.
As a result of increases
in pCO2 and changing
CaCO3 saturation state,
there was a 10 %
decrease in calcification
from 1890 - 1990 and
9 - 30 % from 1990 -
2100.




                            Gattuso et al, 1999
Thus, there is unprecedented urgency to quantify the effects
                       of global warming on calcifying organisms and the
                                                   associated ecosystem.




CoralWarm focuses on the effects of
temperature warming on corals, including synergistic effects with the
ongoing seawater pH decrease.
The aim of the project is creating a
       predictive model of coral survival and reef
       community structure changes for
       Mediterranean and Red Sea species, under
       various Global Climate scenarios
CoralWarm will provide the first estimate of
temperature warming impact on the Mediterranean
and the Red Sea coral system. The scenario for the
next century will be outlined
CoralWarm’s highly interdisciplinary character lies in the collaboration and ideas
                       exchange among various disciplines of the academic world




   Zvy Dubinsky, Oren Levy, Yuri             Giuseppe Falini, Stefano Goffredo,
             Kamenir                         Erik Caroselli, Francesco Zaccanti,
                                              Paola Fantazzini, Luca Pasquini
   Photobiology, physiology, gene
      expression, biostatistics               Crystallography, mineralization,
                                               histology, biometry, population
                                                dynamics, nuclear magnetic
                                             resonance, mechanical properties

External collaborators: Mutaz Al Qutob (Department of Biology, Al-Quds University),
Mary Alice Coffroth (Department of Biological Sciences, State University of New
York), Jaap Kaandorp (Section Computational Sciences, University of Amsterdam),
Aldo Shemesh (Department of Evironmental Sciences and Energy Research,
Weizmann Institute of Science)

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Corals and global warming: the Mediterranean VS the Red Sea

  • 1. Corals and global warming: the Mediterranean versus the Red Sea Project conceivers: Zvy Dubinsky, Bar-Ilan University, Israel, Stefano Goffredo and Giuseppe Falini, Alma Mater Studiorum- University of Bologna, Italy www.CoralWarm.eu
  • 2. Institutions: Bar-Ilan University; University of Bologna Project duration: 5 years ERC support: 3.3 million euros
  • 3.
  • 4. CO2 and Mineral Saturation Increase in atmospheric CO2 (see fig) increases pCO2 in surface seawater. Potentially inhibiting effect on calcifying organisms (corals and coralline algae) due to decrease in saturation state of CaCO3 with increasing pCO2. Possible stimulatory effect of increased CO2 on some algae Decreasing calcification along with increasing sea level may result in reefs being unable to keep up. Likewise corals may change the density of their skeletons in response to decreased calcification, if density is lower then corals more susceptible to physical damage from storms and bioerosion
  • 5. The anthropogenic CO2 emissions and ozone destruction result in processes detrimental to various marine biota, in addition to their publicized social, political and economic aspects. These include seawater warming, ocean acidification and sea level rise.
  • 6.
  • 7.
  • 8.
  • 9.
  • 10. As a result of increases in pCO2 and changing CaCO3 saturation state, there was a 10 % decrease in calcification from 1890 - 1990 and 9 - 30 % from 1990 - 2100. Gattuso et al, 1999
  • 11. Thus, there is unprecedented urgency to quantify the effects of global warming on calcifying organisms and the associated ecosystem. CoralWarm focuses on the effects of temperature warming on corals, including synergistic effects with the ongoing seawater pH decrease.
  • 12.
  • 13.
  • 14.
  • 15.
  • 16.
  • 17.
  • 18.
  • 19.
  • 20.
  • 21.
  • 22.
  • 23.
  • 24.
  • 25. The aim of the project is creating a predictive model of coral survival and reef community structure changes for Mediterranean and Red Sea species, under various Global Climate scenarios CoralWarm will provide the first estimate of temperature warming impact on the Mediterranean and the Red Sea coral system. The scenario for the next century will be outlined
  • 26. CoralWarm’s highly interdisciplinary character lies in the collaboration and ideas exchange among various disciplines of the academic world Zvy Dubinsky, Oren Levy, Yuri Giuseppe Falini, Stefano Goffredo, Kamenir Erik Caroselli, Francesco Zaccanti, Paola Fantazzini, Luca Pasquini Photobiology, physiology, gene expression, biostatistics Crystallography, mineralization, histology, biometry, population dynamics, nuclear magnetic resonance, mechanical properties External collaborators: Mutaz Al Qutob (Department of Biology, Al-Quds University), Mary Alice Coffroth (Department of Biological Sciences, State University of New York), Jaap Kaandorp (Section Computational Sciences, University of Amsterdam), Aldo Shemesh (Department of Evironmental Sciences and Energy Research, Weizmann Institute of Science)